Face reading software

Spanish researchers develop algorithm capable of reading facial expressions from video images; by applying the algorithm, the system is capable of processing thirty images per second to recognize a person’s facial expressions in real time before categorizing them as expressing anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, or surprise

As interest is growing in behavior observation as a tool for security (for example, at airports), we note that researchers in Spain have developed an algorithm capable of reading facial expressions from video images. By applying the algorithm, the system is capable of processing thirty images per second to recognize a person’s facial expressions in real time before categorizing them as expressing anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, or surprise. By dividing a person’s face into “boxes,” facial movements of different parts of the face are analyzed and compared with the expressions captured in a database. Using this database the system has a success rate of 89 percent and is capable of working in poor conditions in which ambient lighting, frontal facial movements, or camera displacements cause major changes in facial appearance.

The software was created by a collaboration between the Department of Artificial Intelligence at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid’s School of Computing and the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, also in Madrid. Despite being at the prototype stage, the software is able to work on regular computers and laptops. According to the team the technology has a range of applications including advanced human-computer interfaces where it could be used to construct avatars which simulate a person’s facial expression.